Unexpected
by 19RosesofLifeandDeath98
Summary: Rey's relationship with her father's droid seems strange, but it is unbreakable. Basically Rey and K-2SO are best friends and here are some snapshots from her life to prove it. (rebelcaptain, finnrey, domestic goodness)


The irony of K-2SO's current situation is not lost on him: the fact that he was created to guard imperial property and now finds himself guarding an infant's nursery. Cassian and Jyn have told him this service is unnecessary, but neither one has asked him to stop, so he spends most nights here. Rey's crib lies in the center of the room, a sound monitor perched on the table just beside it. This – K-2 has determined – is the problem.

Rey is by no means a difficult child. Based on K-2's data, Poe Dameron and Ben Solo were far more troublesome infants. Still, her sleep schedule is as erratic at best, reaching a maximum of four hours at a time. The effects of this are beginning to show in the shadows beneath her parents' eyes or the increased slump of their posture in the morning. K-2SO has a solution.

As expected, Rey reaches her limit, squirming and sniveling as she begins to wake up. K-2 recalls the audio file he downloaded earlier and plays it. It is a soft melody shared between two string instruments. It rises and falls, never building beyond a gentle murmur. Rey's eyes do not open, but she turns toward the sound. Her face relaxes and her fussing slowly quiets.

To K-2's disappointment, Cassian and Jyn appear in the door frame. The purpose of this was to allow the couple some much needed sleep.

"As you can see, I have handled the situation." He says flatly, still playing the lullaby. "There's no need for you to be awake."

They enter as one, coming up to the edge of the crib.

"She may still need fed." Jyn says.

"Or changed." Cassian adds.

These are thinly veiled excuses for them to shift closer, run their fingers along Rey's head and marvel at the life they created, but K-2 does not say anything.

"Come on, Rey. My name's real easy. Ben." The boy brings the child closer to his face as if to make her pay closer attention. "B-E-N. Ben. You can do it." Rey simply blinks at him and continues to suck on her knuckles.

"Not going to work, Solo." Poe says from where he stands in the living room, Finn's tiny feet atop his as he holds the toddler's hands. "She just turned one _today._ My dad says I didn't talk until I was almost one and a half."

"And you haven't shut up since." Paige quips, Rose perched atop her feet in a similar fashion.

Poe narrows his eyes. "Those are fighting words, Tico." He stoops down and hooks his hands under Finn's armpits, holding him out like a shield. "Prepare for battle!"

Paige does the same and they make fun using the children as battering rams, Rose and Finn laughing helplessly. A few party goers turn to them with amused smiles. Bodhi winces, no doubt fighting the urge to remind them to be careful.

K-2 observes all of this silently. When he looks back at the couch, Rey is staring at him over Ben's shoulder.

Ben bounces her on his knee. "What is it, junker?" His nickname for her, even though Jyn hates it.

Rey keeps looking at Kay, pulling her knuckles away from her mouth with an audible _pop._ Then she grins and cries sharply. " _Kay!_ "

The party chatter dies a little bit, disrupted by the new sound. Unaware, Rey squawks again, " _Kay!_ "

Cassian materializes out of the group, a wide smile splitting his face.

"Well done, cariño." He kisses Rey's cheek and Ben hands her over begrudgingly. He is in a sour mood for the rest of the party.

The main hanger is as busy as ever, but Rogue One finds a place where they can sit with the children and not be in anybody's way. Baze is entertaining Finn with a card game that the five year old miraculously keeps winning. It's been a good enough distraction, keeping him from asking, "When are Baba and Uncle Cass coming home?" for the twelfth time this morning.

Rey is wobbling on her feet, her hands in Jyn's for support. Chirrut sits opposite them, casually perched atop a storage crate. Kay has been told (by Jyn) to stop reminding them that it is still early in Rey's development for her to walk.

She looks between her mother and the guardian, pointing at him and cooing, " _Chiwut_."

"That's right, love." Jyn crouches, keeping their hands together but loosening her grip. "Why don't you go give him a hug?"

They wait several moments, but nothing happens. Baze notices the incoming ship and points it out to Finn, who cheers. The wind picks up as it approaches, a violent gust pushing Rey's tiny form forward one step. Jyn's hands are at her sides, ready to catch her. Rey looks at her, confused, like she's awaiting instruction.

"Go on, Stardust." Jyn coaxes, nodding toward Chirrut.

"Jyn Erso," K-2 speaks up, "I do not think that – "

He stops himself as Rey takes another step, and then another, in _his_ direction. Jyn follows, eyes a little wide in disbelief. It is a slow process. By the time the child is at his feet, the ship has landed and its thrusters are powering down.

Rey looks up at him, utterly dwarfed by his seven-foot stature. She reaches her hands above her head, fingers grabbing at the air. "Up!"

Kay does not move. He has not held a human child. Ever. Data suggests that they are far too delicate. Even if he attempted to calibrate himself accordingly, he would still probably leave them covered in bruises. Having been kept waiting, Rey begins to fuss.

"Kay, pick her up." Jyn hisses, and he knows if he does anything to discourage her daughter's first steps, he will not hear the end of it.

His circuits are whirring as he runs the calculations, adjusting his grip to be as gentle as his mechanical frame can manage. He lowers himself and slowly reaches out, taking comfort in the possibility that Rey will lose interest and retreat to her mother. She does not, though, and Kay is forced to complete the action.

He does not feel or hear any bones crack, does not see his metal hands draw blood. Rey does not display any signs of discomfort, kicking her legs enthusiastically. This result is… unexpected.

Finn's delighted cries pull his attention toward the ship, where Bodhi is spinning him around at the base of the loading ramp. Cassian emerges, eyes moving from Jyn to K-2 to Rey, then back to Jyn.

K-2 doesn't need to see her face to know she is smiling when she says, "Welcome home."

"I understand you are in pain." Kay says as he makes his way down the dirt path. "But I would like to remind you that I said the branch was too far."

Rey doesn't raise her head from where it rests against his chest piece. She groans, miserably, "You were right."

K-2 deduces from the tightness in her voice that she is still trying not to cry. The bone did not break skin, but Rey's entire arm is swollen and red. She cradles it tenderly, hissing the few times K-2 jostles it. Finn had been in near hysterics, but Kay managed to talk him down enough to follow instructions. At the rate he was running, Finn should definitely have made it back to the house by now, alerting Jyn and whoever else is home to what's happened.

"I've seen Paige make that jump a hundred times." Rey protests weakly.

"Paige is also significantly taller than you." _And more coordinated_ , K-2 could add, but doesn't.

"Why'd Papá program you to be such a smart ass?"

"My personality is merely a byproduct of the reprogramming. And watch your language."

Rey mutters something in Fest that he doesn't register. She cries out when he has to duck under a tree limb.

"Pain?" he demands.

"Still a six." She says, and if she truly is the daughter of Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, that means it's at least an eight.

Kay moves down the rest of the hill as gingerly as he can. When they break through the tree line, Jyn, Finn and Bodhi are waiting anxiously in the backyard.

"Can we tell them I _almost_ made it?" Rey whispers.

It is a lie, but K-2 agrees.

This is the time most organics would use the phrase "waiting an eternity." K-2 has a clock inside his head, so he knows that this is not true. Still, the phrase seems fitting.

"This is taking longer than it should." He says looking down at Rey, who is wrist-deep in the wiring and gears of his upper leg.

"Quiet, Kay." Cassian chides. "She's doing fine."

Rey ignores both of them, focused on calibrating the hydraulics of his upper leg to accommodate his new knee joint. When she'd asked to help with the repairs, K-2 had no issue. He hadn't predicted that Cassian would let her install the knee _by herself_. Kay has seen what Rey can do with machines. He knows she's capable, but this is _his_ knee.

With a click, Rey retracts her hands and fixes the casing back onto his leg. "Done."

"You sure?" Cassian says, narrowing his eyes and thoughtfully stroking his beard.

"Yes."

"Really sure?"

" _Sí_."

"Really, really – "

" _Papá_."

"Okay, okay. Give it a try, Kay."

Rey holds her breath as K-2 extends his leg, rotates it, then stands and puts his full weight on it. He goes through a few more motions before meeting her wide, expectant eyes.

"The repairs are satisfactory." He says.

Rey beams, puffing out her chest as she looks up at Cassian, who is beaming back at her.

"Soon enough you'll be able to help _tus tíos_ on the speeder."

"Or I can work on _your_ ship." She smirks.

Cassian rolls his eyes and pulls her in, digging his knuckles into her hair. She squeals like she's much younger than ten and tries to escape his grip. Kay decides not to get involved, exiting the garage and leaving them to their ruff housing.

He finds her by the creek, deep in the woods that surround the west side of the base. K-2 deactivates his night vision as he crouches on the bank beside her. He is somewhat impressed that she navigated here with only the moonlight to guide her. Her cheeks are wet, but she seems to be through with crying and is now jabbing angrily at dirt with a stick.

"You're parents are worried." He says. Rey does not respond other than stabbing the ground harder. "They've been looking for you for hours." _Stab. Stab. Stab._ "The temperature will drop soon. You shouldn't – "

" _Just shut up!_ " Rey hurls the stick across the stream and digs her nails into the soil. "I came out here to be alone!"

 _That is obvious_ , Kay thinks. "Given the circumstances, I do not think that is a good idea."

She fidgets, running the dirt in between her fingers. When she speaks it is so quiet, K-2 has to adjust his audio to catch it. "Are Mama and Papá mad at me?"

"If you are referring to the broken maintenance droid, they are not upset."

"Not the stupid droid." She hisses, thrusting her fingers into his face. "The fact that I blew it apart without touching it!"

Her hands are trembling and she tucks them against her chest, folding in on herself. She's crying again, and K-2 wishes he had a soft, human touch to offer her.

"No, they are not upset." He says evenly. "They want you to come home."

She sniffles, staring down at her still shaking hands. "I don't know what it means."

He rises slowly, extending his metal hand to her. She looks up at it, then at his eyes.

"It will be okay." He says, and after a moment, she takes it.

K-2 doesn't knock when he enters Bodhi's house. He marches straight into the kitchen, where Bodhi and Finn are clustered around the tiny table.

"I require Finn's assistance." He says.

Finn drops his fork and rolls his eyes. "Yes, please come in, K-2SO. Pull up a chair. Can I get you anything? Caff? Fruit? Actual manners?"

"I require your assistance." Kay addresses him directly this time.

"Why?" he snaps, but Bodhi just laughs. "I think it's better not to ask, son."

Finn looks between them once before conceding. He groans as he pushes back from the table, kissing Bodhi's forehead and grabbing Poe's hand-me-down jacket. "Let's go, scrap metal."

It is a ridiculous nickname – K-2 is in remarkable condition considering his age – but Finn is undeterred by this information. Bodhi reminds them to be home before 23:00 and they're off. They make their way down the road in silence. K-2 knows it won't last because Finn is a talker, even if he doesn't like the droid very much. They tolerate each other because of Rey, which is precisely why K-2 is here.

He specializes in strategic analysis. He is programmed with over a dozen languages. His skills in close combat have been proven time and time again. He was _not_ designed to facilitate organic relationships, nor does he want to. However, he did not spend a year after Scarif watching Jyn and Cassian tiptoe around one another to watch their child do the exact same thing. He will not have it.

Finn catches on as to where they're heading and eyes the droid suspiciously. "Did Rey send you?"

"No."

"So why are we going to her house?"

"Because you need to confess your feelings to one another."

Finn stops walking. K-2 does not. The boy – really a young man, now – stutters and runs to catch up with him.

"Look droid, I don't know what's going on in those circuits of yours," his voice has climbed an entire octave, "but you've lost it, okay? I don't even know what you're talking about."

"I am talking about your romantic feeling for Rey and her romantic feelings for you."

"I'm not even…" he swallows his words, blinks dumbly at him, "Wait, feelings for _me_? Like, _me_?" He waves a hand dismissively. "That's crazy." Then after moment, "Why, did she say something?"

"Indirectly, but yes. She's also discussed it with Rose when she thought I was deactivated."

"You spied on her?"

"Only to confirm that your feelings for her are reciprocated. I would not want you wasting your time and energy if she is attracted to someone else."

"That's… thank you?" He says, then shakes his head. "Wait, what am I supposed to say?"

"That is your responsibility to figure out, not mine."

"Load of help you are." Finn mutters.

"I informed you that she 'likes' you, did I not?"

Upon the lack of a witty retort, K-2 turns to Finn, who is smiling in a way the droid is not accustomed to.

"Yeah, you did." Finn says, extending a hand to pat Kay's arm. "Thanks."

This behavior is unexpected, but K-2 keeps walking. "My actions are entirely self-motivated. Cassian and Jyn Erso have exhausted my patience when it comes to organic relationships."

Kay knows that gripping the controls harder will not fly the ship faster, but he does so anyway. They just need to clear the valley and then he can jump to light speed. Rey is panting beside him in the copilot's chair, both hands pressing down on her abdomen.

"Mum and Papá are going to kill me." She hisses, her head thudding back against the seat.

"In the figurative sense." Kay glances at her red-stained hands. "More accurately, they will not let you perform another solo mission."

"S'not m' fault." She slurs.

 _Yes it is,_ he thinks. _Because you had to blow your cover to liberate a few kriffing slave children._

K-2 is surprised at himself. His thought process never involves expletives. They finally – _finally! –_ climb over the mountain ridge and he engages the hyper drive. In the quiet of hyperspace, K-2 realizes he must drastically adjust his audio feed to hear Rey's breathing. He stumbles – he never stumbles – out of the pilot's seat and grips the sides of the copilot chair. Rey's eyes are closed.

"You must remain conscious." Kay demands, pressing one hand atop Rey's now limp ones. "Keep applying pressure."

"Bossy." She mumbles, barely audible.

"Repeat the guardian mantra."

There is a medpac on the ship. If he can stop the bleeding, he can apply a bacta patch.

"Yes, Master Îmwe." Rey says, somehow mustering enough energy for sarcasm. "The Force is with me… and I am one with the Force…" She coughs as Kay removes his hand to grab the medpac. "and I… fear nothing… for all is as the… as the…"

K-2 nearly sparks. He drops the medpac unceremoniously onto the floor and hooks his arms under Rey's knees and around her back.

"Kay," she whispers, eyes glazed as he hoists her out of the chair and moves her into the hull of the ship. "If I don't make it – "

"No." Is all he can say.

Once she's laying down, he rips the blood-soaked fabric of her shirt away and places a bacta patch over the wound.

"Tell Finn… tell him…"

"You will tell him yourself."

K-2 cannot really yell, but his vocalizer cracks with intensity. Rey blinks slowly at him, taken aback. Then she nods and K-2 takes it as a promise.

The navigation system beeps angrily, informing him that they need to drop out of hyperspace soon. He takes Rey's hand and squeezes it.

"I fear nothing." He says.

"For all is as the Force wills it." Rey finishes, smiling weakly.

He deactivates the hyperdrive and switches to manual controls, navigating carefully through D'Qar's asteroid belt. To his relief, Rey is softly repeating the guardians' mantra. As soon as they breach the planet's atmosphere, K-2 taps into the secure channel.

"This is Azure One, requesting permission to land." He doesn't wait for confirmation. "Agent Erso-Andor requires immediate medical attention."

There's only static for a moment, the comm officers probably sharing looks of mutual horror. "Someone has to tell the General." One says. Another barks, "The General? Who's going to tell Commander Erso?"

"Just _tell them_." K-2 says in as close to a snarl as he can manage.

When they are close enough, he engages the automatic landing system and goes back into the hull. Rey's babbling in sloppy Fest, eyes focused on nothing. He stoops beside her, gingerly lifting her into his arms. As the ramp lowers, he can see the small mob of medics waiting for them. Rogue One is there, the guardians looking grave, Bodhi holding Finn's arm to keep him from sprinting onto the ship. Jyn and Cassian are rigid with fear, hands clasped between them. As soon as the ramp is secure, they start toward him.

Quietly, Rey murmurs, "You're always there for me."

Before they're swarmed by family and medical personnel, Kay whispers back, "And I always will be."


End file.
